Currently, many anime production companies are creating a wide variety of anime to entertain us. However, I think the majority of people know about anime, but don't know anything about anime production companies and have no interest in them. However, if you research anime production companies, you will find that the companies that make the anime you like are almost always the same. Furthermore, each anime production company has a different style, so if you research them, you will be able to enjoy anime even more. In this article, we will introduce the anime production company "P.A.WORKS".
What is P.A.WORKS?
Source: P.A.WORKS ©P.A.WORKS
"P.A.WORKS" is an anime production company founded in 2000 with about 98 employees. It is a major anime company with a small number of employees that handles everything from anime planning to production. The head office is in Toyama Prefecture, and the abbreviation of "P.A.WORKS" is said to be "PA."
Characteristics of P.A.WORKS
Kenji Horikawa, who was originally a producer at the animation production company Production I.G, founded Ecchu Doga Honpo Co., Ltd. In 2002, the company name was changed to P.A.WORKS. When Horikawa returned to his hometown of Toyama, there were no animation production companies nearby, which led to the establishment of the company. In addition to the headquarters in Toyama Prefecture, the company also has a subsidiary in Tokyo, Tokyo P-10 Studio. In Toyama, they have the animation and CG departments, while in Tokyo, they have the directing and production departments. In the early days, they worked as subcontractors (gross contractors) for other anime production companies and produced movie parts for video games and the like. In 2008, they produced and aired True Tears, which was their first work as a prime contractor (launched by the company itself).
The Style of P.A.WORKS
Source: P.A.WORKS ©P.A.WORKS
P.A.WORKS's style is wide-ranging, including youth stories, school youth stories with sci-fi elements, work-themed stories, and robot stories. All of them feature cute girls, and often depict girls working hard. They are particularly good at original anime, and have produced many original works that have become hits. Furthermore, the anime produced by P.A.WORKS is set in a real place, and pursues realism even though it is anime. They also put a lot of effort into the background, and the scenery is drawn and expressed very beautifully.
P.A.WORKS' unfair labor issues
At one time, there was a problem with the salary being too low. Someone posted on the internet a statement showing that an animator's monthly salary was about 1,500 yen. Furthermore, in the third year of animating, a desk fee of 6,000 yen is deducted per month, which became a problem. If an animator passes the test three times, they can be promoted to a key animator, but if they continue as an animator for a long time without passing it, the desk fee will be deducted. Is it right to take an unfair desk fee despite the low wages? However, these problems can be said to be true throughout the anime industry. Low wages compared to the amount of work is a problem in the anime industry.
Anime Rankings for P.A.WORKS's Works
We'll introduce the works that P.A.WORKS has contracted in a ranking format. Please use it as a reference.
9th place: TARI TARI
Source: P.A.WORKS ©P.A.WORKS
An original anime produced and broadcast by P.A.WORKS in 2012. A total of 13 episodes were broadcast. This is the third youth-themed work following "true tears" and "Hanasaku Iroha." The main character, Miyamoto Motohana, is a member of the vocal music club at Shirahamazaka High School. Although she joined the vocal music club because she wanted to sing, she was in charge of turning over the piano sheet music. Unhappy with this role, she starts her own choir club, and three girls and two boys join. This is a coming-of-age story about how they work hard every day to reach their goal of a competition while facing problems and difficulties. If you like anime related to club activities such as choir clubs, be sure to check it out.
8th place Sakura Quest
Source: P.A.WORKS ©P.A.WORKS
This is also an original anime produced by P.A.WORKS. It was broadcast in 2016 and had a total of 25 episodes. This is the third work following work-related works such as "Hanasaku Iroha" and "SHIROBAKO". The main character, Kiharu Yuno, who is struggling with job hunting, is asked by the dispatch agency where she is registered as a part-timer to become the king of the rural town of Nomayama for a year. It used to be a popular tourist spot, but it has fallen into disuse over time. In order to overcome this situation, five girls plan and put into action a plan to revitalize the town, making this an anime that will make you want to go back to the countryside.
7th Place Charlotte
Source: P.A.WORKS ©P.A.WORKS
This is an original anime by P.A.WORKS that was produced and broadcast in 2015. The original story, script, and soundtrack were written by Jun Maeda, who is from the Key brand that produced "AIR" and "Clannad", and the character design was done by Na-Ga. It is a touching sci-fi story that follows "Angel Beats!" produced by Key in 2010. A world where adolescent boys and girls suddenly develop "special abilities". The protagonist, Otosaka Yuji, is one of these boys and girls and meets a girl. She also has "special abilities" and is being protected by researchers to prevent her from being used as a test subject. Otosaka joins the organization and solves various problems in this story. The anime ends with a tear-jerker, so make sure you have a bath towel ready.
6th place true tears
Source: P.A.WORKS ©P.A.WORKS
This is P.A.WORKS' first original work, produced and broadcast in 2008. 13 episodes in total. The protagonist, Nakagami Shinichiro, is a high school student who dreams of becoming a picture book author. He lives at home with his parents and Yuasa Hiromi, who is the same age as him and attends the same high school, but lost both parents. One day at school, he meets Ishimichi Noe, who is unable to get down from a tree. It's a love story that depicts relationships with girls and changes in oneself. If you like romance anime, please give it a watch.
5th place Angel Beats!
Source: P.A.WORKS ©P.A.WORKS
This is an original anime produced by P.A.WORKS since 2010. Total of 13 episodes. This one is also written by "Maeda Jun" of "Key" and character design by "Na-Ga". Tenjo Academy is a boarding school located on a hill surrounded by forest, with 2000 students. It may look like a normal high school, but it is actually the afterlife. It is home to boys and girls who lived unreasonable lives in the real world and died without being able to make a living. The story goes that these boys and girls live the ideal life of their youth and resolve their regrets before disappearing (reincarnating). This anime is so popular that it has become a common term for anime fans. Make sure you have two bath towels ready for the end.
4th place: Nagi no Asukara
Source: P.A.WORKS ©P.A.WORKS
This is an original anime work by P.A.WORKS, which began broadcasting in 2013 and aired a total of 26 episodes. There was a time when all humans lived and worked in the sea. However, humans who longed for land could never return to the sea again (they could not breathe) as a price for going on land. Currently, there are very few people living in the sea, and one of the schools in the sea has been closed. The story follows boys and girls who transfer to a high school on land and solve various problems and human relationships. The story moves significantly between the first and second halves, so it's well worth watching. The real action starts in the second half, so I recommend watching the whole series. The backgrounds are simply beautiful.
3rd Place Hanasaku Iroha
Source: P.A.WORKS ©P.A.WORKS
An original anime produced by P.A.WORKS. A total of 26 episodes were broadcast. The first in the "Work Series" that includes "Sakura Quest" and "SHIROBAKO". A representative work of P.A.WORKS. Matsumae Ohana, a girl attending high school in Tokyo, is told that her mother's boyfriend will run away in the middle of the night because of his debts. When Ohana heads to the address given to her by her mother, she ends up working at the inn "Kisuisou" in the Yunosagi Onsen hot spring area of Ishikawa Prefecture. While working as an apprentice waitress there, the girl faces various customers and difficulties with a positive attitude in this anime. It's a very uplifting anime that teaches us how difficult the job is.
Second place: SHIROBAKO
Source: P.A.WORKS ©P.A.WORKS
This is an original anime work by P.A.WORKS, and is the second in the "Working Girls Series." A total of 24 episodes were broadcast. Five girls who belonged to an animation club in their high school days vowed to make anime in the future. Two and a half years later, Aoi Miyamori joined the anime production company Musashino Animation as a production assistant, where she rushed around every day, realizing how difficult it is to make anime. Her former club members are also now working in the anime industry, and the story depicts the behind-the-scenes of anime in a humorous way. It's a very entertaining work that teaches us about the difficulties and rewards of anime production.
1st Place: When the Promised Flower Blooms
Source: P.A.WORKS ©P.A.WORKS
An original theatrical anime produced by P.A.WORKS. Released in 2018. It was produced by a group of staff who worked on Anohana and Kokosake. This anime depicts the relationship between the Ioruf clan, who have lived for hundreds of years while retaining their teenage appearance, and humans. "Iorph" is about an Iorph girl named "Makia" who lives in a remote area but leaves the area after an incident and decides to find and raise a baby who has been attacked by bandits and is on the verge of death. The story depicts the family bond between a mother and child who raise the child while hiding the fact that she is an Iorph. The film was also highly praised by "Makoto Shinkai", the director of "Your Name". It is a film that I highly recommend you watch.
P.A.WORKS Summary
Source: P.A.WORKS ©P.A.WORKS
This time, we introduced the anime production company P.A.WORKS. Although it has been a hot topic due to labor issues, it is a company that produces great anime. Please check it out. Thank you for reading.
